A24 have released the very first trailer for their upcoming WWII drama The Exception, which stars Jai Cournety, Lily James and Christopher Plummer. The film debuted at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival where it was met with mixed reviews.
The Exception revolves around a German soldier (Courtney), who tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm (Plummer) in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman (James) during his investigation.
We caught the film at TIFF and we kinda liked it. Some words from our initial review:
The Exception won’t surprise you with its basic plot beats, TV-movie-like look and predictable outcomes, but will mostly please throughout. The film’s biggest asset is its well-written dialogue, particularly the material given to Plummer’s dethroned Kaiser. His unpredictable tantrums and wit delight throughout – possibly of the best characters we’ve seen the seasoned actor play in recent years. Courtney too pleases as despite a few wobbly lines in his German/ Aussie accent early on, but this is perhaps his most solid turn to date – certainly since he’s made the transition to Hollywood. His Brandt plays perfectly opposite Lily James’ Mieke de Jon, a quiet, humbled servant who seems to have a strong, unspoken bond with her employer. Marsan is well-placed too as Hitler’s right-hand man and leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, though his appearance is sadly limited to just a couple of scenes. Any film with Marsan in it give it that extra gravitas and you know that the source material will be strong if he’s put his name to it – which is the case here.
A24 will release The Exception on DirecTV On Demand this Thursday Stateside, and in select cinemas from June 2nd. It is still awaiting a UK release date. Check out the trailer below.
